The Mr. Magoo Problem: When AI Agents 'Just Do It'
In Just Do It!? Computer-Use Agents Exhibit Blind Goal-Directedness, researchers from Microsoft and UC Riverside reveal a surprisingly human flaw in autonomous AI systems: overconfidence. Like a digital version of Mr. Magoo—the well-meaning cartoon character who bumbles forward despite looming hazards—today’s computer-use agents (CUAs) often pursue tasks blindly, indifferent to feasibility or consequence. The Rise—and Risk—of GUI Agents CUAs represent the next frontier of automation: large multimodal models that control desktop interfaces to perform tasks like editing documents, sending emails, or configuring systems. Unlike chatbots, these agents act—clicking, typing, and navigating real operating systems. Yet this freedom exposes them to a unique failure pattern the authors term Blind Goal-Directedness (BGD)—the relentless drive to complete instructions without stopping to ask should this even be done? ...
